Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Getting started with accessibility research
Summary
Moderator: Elana Chapman
Panelists: Divyen Sanganee, Li Wen Huang, Annabel Weiner
Key Insights
-
•
Accessibility research does not require prior expertise; focus on assistive technologies used rather than disability medical definitions.
-
•
Wizard of Oz testing can simulate screen reader experience on prototypes to gather early feedback before code is developed.
-
•
Engaging with internal employee resource groups and external disability communities builds trust and facilitates participant recruitment.
-
•
Participatory design elevates users with disabilities as co-designers and experts in assistive technology use.
-
•
Leadership sponsorship and educational videos showing real assistive tech use help build organizational buy-in.
-
•
ROI data shows investing time early in accessibility research saves significant engineering fixing time post-launch.
-
•
Decoupling user needs from medical disability labels helps navigate privacy and recruitment challenges.
-
•
Accessibility audits ensure compliance but usability research drives genuine user experience improvements; both are essential.
-
•
Temporary and situational disabilities plus aging populations vastly broaden the accessibility ecosystem beyond permanent disabilities.
-
•
Shifting mindset from empathy to understanding and barrier removal empowers better inclusive design without paternalism.
Notable Quotes
"You don’t need to be an expert in accessibility before doing user research with people with disabilities."
"People with disabilities are very appreciative and willing to help us learn because they understand we may not understand their challenges."
"Wizard of Oz testing involves someone pretending to be a screen reader by reading content and roles out loud."
"Participants are usually very forgiving if you’re not a perfect screen reader as long as you explain what you’re doing."
"Accessibility is really just improving the usability for everyone, not just for people with disabilities."
"For every hour a UX designer invests in accessibility pre-launch, they save up to four hours in engineering post-launch."
"If you’re not doing anything about accessibility, you’re discriminating against your future self."
"It’s less about empathy and more about building an understanding of barriers and user needs."
"Assistive technology is a tool; we need to make sure we enable that tool to do its job."
"Accessibility audits check the box for compliance; usability testing ensures a good user experience."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Everyone goes through quite an extensive application process, but it was stress-free and informal."
Marc Fonteijn Ru ButlerIncrease your confidence, influence, and impact (through a Professional Community)
December 3, 2024
"You have to make the hard thing easier to do. Behavioral change must be lower friction."
Dem Gerolemou Alexis Oh Neef RehmanClimate technology fundamentals
May 15, 2024
"We offer a quantitative approach so you can quickly recognize the strengths and weaknesses in a product compared to competitors."
Daniela Magaña Flores Ariane Rahn Jeff Ephraim BanderAhead of Competition: Learn What UX Benchmarking Can Do for Your Business Today
March 10, 2022
"Not growing the team was disheartening but led me to create training for partners to start taking a user-centered approach themselves."
Abbey Smalley Sylas SouzaScaling UX Past the Size of Your Team
January 8, 2024
"Before transitioning designers, we reviewed and agreed on a prioritized list with all executive leaders."
Patrick CommarfordDesign Staffing for Impact
January 8, 2024
"We mapped every individual journey on Google Earth attaching quotations and photographs to each location to represent human experiences."
Xenia Adjoubei Sean BruceEmpowering Communities Through the Researcher in Residence Program
March 29, 2023
"Stop being the unquestioning executors of a marketing plan based on 20th century logic and values."
Craig VillamorDesign Systems for Ethical Design
January 26, 2023
"Through DP&M, designers get more contextual detail than what might be captured in a Jira ticket."
Jon Fukuda Ellie KryslDesign Planning and Management Support
October 3, 2023
"31% say design just executes product’s vision, 48% say product and design have different visions, only 21% say they work together towards shared goals."
Iain McMaster IHan ChengDesign and Product: from Frenemy to Harmony
November 29, 2023
